The best of Your Turn, Letters to the Editor

I really miss Jesus. I don’t mean the one who punches tickets for believers to enter paradise. I mean the one who stopped the mob about to stone a woman caught in adultery. I’m also thinking of the Jesus who fed a hungry crowd by getting a boy to share his lunch of bread and fish.

As shown in the story of the good Samaritan (a despised religious minority), this Jesus had little use for those who considered personal piety and obedience to religious law more important than serving people in need.

He also had a few choice words for authorities who criticized him for healing people on the Sabbath.

Now, where is the Jesus who tells these folks that it’s OK to send refugees back to countries where the government is trying to kill them?

And how about the Jesus who approves of sending families back to places where cartels want to recruit their children into prostitution and drug smuggling?

I guess he must also be the one who thinks it’s more important to prevent abortions than to take care of needy children after they are born.

I can’t find this Jesus anywhere in the New Testament, no matter how hard I look, but evangelical Trump supporters seem to like him a lot.

The 2018 Final Four was a fantastic opportunity to showcase our city and all that makes us great, from friendly people to great weather.

Congratulations to the staff and volunteers of San Antonio Sports, the Local Organizing Committee and Visit San Antonio for a job very well done.

The only disappointing aspect was what I now understand to be “dynamic pricing mechanisms” to significantly increase the costs of ride-hailing services, and at least one hotel charging $100 a day for parking. This is also known as “surge pricing.”

As a member of the hospitality industry, that’s not the San Antonio I know and am proud to represent. Thank goodness major tourist venues such as Go Rio Cruises, the Alamo (free), the zoo and the many fine restaurants didn’t follow suit.

Hopefully, the NCAA and the 90,000-plus attendees had a memorable, affordable and, in many cases, a free experience, which will ultimately result in the awarding of another Final Four bid in the next cycle.

I’m dumbfounded (but, hallelujah!) to see a column in this unbending, liberal newspaper on the existence of fake news. It does exist, and you know it. From the beginning, the media have disrespected and exposed every negative — true or false — that could be voiced against this president, to the point that we quit watching TV news.

And let’s never forget basketball coach Gregg Popovich carrying Hillary Clinton’s torch, ad nauseam, on TV and in the Express-News to this day! Add to that the press protections given to President Barack Obama and his eight years in office. Obama had the gift of a smooth, silver tongue the media just loved, while President Donald Trump does not. But Trump has taken economic actions to get people back to work and raise everyone’s living standards, frankly, against all odds. The stagnant Obama years, which he famously told us to “get used to,” were a disgrace and leading us down a path to socialism.

I’m heartened the TV stations felt the need to speak on false news, and I thank you for writing about it.

When I read that City Manager Sheryl Sculley had approved the development near Hays Street Bridge, I had the same reaction as Gilbert Garcia (“City disregards bridge activists’ concerns” March 28).

I believe Ms. Sculley is beginning to believe that she, not the City Council, rules San Antonio. That she tramples over the objections of the area residents and the rejection of the HDRC illustrates her arrogance and her bias toward the monied people.

I had forgotten that the original promise by the city was for a park by the bridge. Since the city reneged on that promise, the manager now wants unsightly development on the property. I find it interesting that Phil Hardberger wanted a park, and he got one. Nelson Wolff wanted a bike path along the San Antonio River, and he got one. I guess the problem the Hays Street residents have is that they are not wealthy enough or white enough for Ms. Sculley to work for their neighborhood as she did for the other two. Maybe the firefighters have a point.